Automatic safety mining-cage.



G. L NEWELL.

AUTOMATLG SAFETY MINING CAGE.

M PLLCAT|QN FILED NOV. 20. EH5. LQQfilU. Patented Den 5,1916.

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amen WM C. J/VeWeH G. J. NEWELL.

AUTOMATIC SAFETY MINING CAGE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 20. l9l5.

Patented Dec. 5, 1915.

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GEORGE 3'. IN EWELL, OF GOLIDFIELD, NEVADA, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF TO JOHNATI-IAN H. FRISBY, 0F TONOPAI-I, NEVADA.

AUTOMATIC SAFETY MINING-CAGE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 5, 1916.

Application filed November 20, 1915. Serial No. 62,545.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE J. NEWELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Goldfield, in the county of Esmeralda and State of Nevada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Safety Mining-Cages; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The invention relates to improvements in mining cages.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of mining cages and to provide a simple, practical and comparatively inexpensive mining cage of strong and durable construction equipped with means for automatically engaging the guide and locking the cage against downward movement in event of the breakage of the cable whereby accidents from such source will be eliminated.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the claim hereto appended, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation partly in section showing a mining cage constructed in accordance with this invention, Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a horizontal seotional'view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in the several figures of the drawings.

In the accompanying drawings in which is illustrated the preferred embodiment of the invention, 1 designates a mining cage slidably mounted within and having a limited vertical movement in an outer frame 2 which is slidably mounted between the vertical guides 3 of a shaft of a mine. The outer frame which may be constructed of any suitable material comprises sides 4, a transverse bottom portion 5 and inclined top portions 6. The outer frame is also equipped with an intermediate transverse frame member 7 and provided.

The mine cage which constitutes an inner frame is composed of spaced sides 10, a floor or platformll and a horizontal top portion 12 which connects the upper ends of the sides. The sides are supported by i11- olined braces 13 in the usual manner and the mining cage is provided at the top portion and at the lower end of its sides with projecting flanges 1d and 15 arranged in pairs and embracing the sides of the outer frame whereby the mining cage is slidably connected with the said frame and is permitted a limited vertical movement between the intermediate and bottom frame members of the outer frame.

The mining cage is connected with the hoisting cable 16 at the center of the top portion 12 and when the mining cage is lifted by the hoisting cable it is moved upwardly independently of the outer frame until the top of the mining cage engages the intermediate frame member 7 of the outer frame. The hoisting'cable is then subjected to the weight of both the mining cage and frame. The sides of the outer frame are provided in their upper portions with openings 17 in which are mounted clutch levers 18 pivoted to the sides of the outer frame by horizontal pins 19 or suitable fastening devices and provided at their outer ends with heads or enlargements 20 having tapered or wedge shaped engaging portions or teeth 21 for engaging the opposed faces of the guides. The inner ends of the clutch levers are connected by bars 23 with the mining cage so that the latter in event of the breakage of the hoisting cable will move downward suddenly a limited distance independently .of theouter frame to throw the clutch levers into engagement with the guides whereby both the outer frame and the mining cage will be locked against further downward movement. The bars 23 extend through an opening in the intermediate horizontal frame member 7 and they are pivoted at their upper ends at 25 to the clutch levers and at their lower ends at 26 to the top of lot ' Fig. l of the drawing but the springs which .quick, downward movement of the mining cage in event of the slackening or breaking of the hoisting cable, springs. 27 are interposed between the clutch levers and the top of the outer frame as clearly illustrated in are approximately U-shaped may be of any other desired form and may be arranged in any other suitable manner to efiect this result.

In operation the mining cage is gradually started and after being started it may be run as rapidly as desired without causing the clutch levers to engage a guide but the mechanism will automatically stop the min ing cage in event of breakage of the cable or a sudden slackening of the same'through any cause.

The mining cage is equipped with a hood composed of oppositely inclined sections 29 carried by the inclined top portion 6 of the outer frame and preferably hinged at their lower edges at 30 and having meeting upper edges 81. The sections are recessed at their upper edges at 32 to provide an opening or passage for the hoisting cable and when the sections of the hood are in position they will protect the mining cage from falling stone or the like dropping down the mine shaft.

The mining cage which is provided at the floor or platform with rails 33 to receive a mining car is equipped with clamps 34 for holding a car on the rails 33. The clamps consist of rods journaled in suitable bearings 35 and provided with terminal arms 36 adapted to swing upwardly and downwardly into and out of engagement with the mining car.. Also the mining cage is provided at the top with pendant horizontal rods 37 having upturned terminal portions or arms 38 which are secured to the top of the mining cage. The rods 37 are arranged within convenient reach for workmen to hang on while riding up and down a mine shaft.

It will be seen that the mining cage is simple and comparatively inexpensive in construction, that it is equipped with means for automatically stopping it in event of the slackening or breaking of the cable and that the hood will protect the cage from falling stone and the like. Also it will be clear that as the sections of the hood are hinged they are adapted to be swung back to enable long timbers and the like to be placed directly upon the mining cage.

What is claimed is The combination of an outer frame, a mining cage slidably mounted within the outer frame and capable of a limited upward and downward movement independently thereof, a hoisting cable connected with the mining cage for holding the same normally in engagement with the outer frame, clutch levers pivotally mounted on the outer frame at opposite sides thereof and having outer engaging portions and means for connecting the clutch levers with the mining cage and springs interposed between the clutch levers and the outer frame for effecting a sudden movement of the mining cage.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

GEORGE J. NEWELL. Witnesses P. M. BOWLER, WILLIAM F ORMAN.

Copies of this patent maybe obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C." 

